Odious

I find Christmas commercials odious this year.

They turn my stomach. In 2020 they are the perfect commentary on how insensitive the business interests of this country have become.

I have always hated Christmas commercials. When they started showing up in October I considered suicide.

They are replayed endlessly between October and Christmas. You can watch a 2 hour show and see the same commercials 5 times, maybe more. Between October and Christmas you see the same commercials hundreds of times. Approaching thousands, mayhaps.

I hate the phony cheer. Happy families doing happy things and smiling endlessly as they make their way through their perfect lives and their perfect Christmas.

Or the romantic stuff. The jewelry, the lovey dovey by the fireplace here's a $1,500 necklace honey shit.

Or the cars. The fucking cars. As far as I know I only have one friend who could afford to surprise his wife with a car for Christmas, and even he has never done that.

In 2020 millions of people have lost their jobs with no prospect of getting them back. Unemployment benefits have been limited. People can't pay their rent, can't make their mortgage payment, are facing foreclosure and eviction, and lining up at food banks.

More than 235,000 Americans have died from Covid-19. Which means 235,000 families are in mourning.

People are afraid.

I don't think a 50% off sale at Kay Jewelers is going to compensate for that.

You want to make people feel better? Give some of this stuff away. And make it useful. Food and clothing, gift cards to buy heating oil and gas, gift cards to grocery stores, free computers for kids.

Get creative, for Christ sake - do I have to continue to spell it out for you?

If you are going to hawk your wares, be sensitive about it. Be honest. Recognize the despair in this country. Don't beat people over the head with midnight madness sales and "300% off if you buy by" sales. Let people know your products are out there if they are interested. Do it gently; do it tastefully. 

Maybe Covid/economy victims do want Christmas. Maybe it will make them feel better. I don't know. Just do them the service of showing respect for their pain.

I can hear the corporate conversations. "Sir, 235,000 people have died. We should give stuff away to make their families' lives a little easier." "We can't do that - we have to make up for the sales we lost while they were dying."

I despise these commericals. I look away when they come on.

When I am home alone and watching TV, I mute the sound every time a commerical comes on. Every time. Because I hate commercials in general. But when Carol is here I don't do that because it gets awkward. Besides she might see something nice she wants to buy me.

So I suffer through these fucking Christmas commericals, even though they turn my stomach. I am serious about this. They infuriate me.

It is wrong. It is a greedy, self centered, insensitive thing to do. To pretend we will have Christmas as usual.

We won't.

Sensitive people will make it all about family and forget about the fucking presents. Be grateful that nobody in your family has died. Be grateful that nobody has contracted Covid-19. Be grateful you still have a job, if you do. That's all you need to enjoy the holiday. Perspective.

The kind of persepctive that corporate america is incapable of ever since unchecked greed killed customer service.